Nose: Berries and cream, bath balm explosion
Palate: Tastes like kissing a bath and bodyworks. A high end raspberry oatmeal soap bar. Heavily coats my mouth.
Rating: 3 / 10
Nose: Golden raisins, grape must, quite sweet, large wet hay bundles after sitting under a tarp all winter, hazelnut, bark mulch.
Palate: Sulfur… and whatever ryan writes. I’m out. Dry on the finish, just not as much as in batch 2. Marsala, endive, oak.
Rating: Shane (2) Ryan (4) / 10 – well that was a disappointment. I’m sure it’s lovely for those of your who are immune to the devils taint, but mercy me. No thanks.
Nose: Leeks and potato soup, flash fried pimiento de padrón, portobello and hint of mole spices (cumin, cocoa, red chile powder, and cinnamon), mustiness
Palate: Big thick fruity wine notes, balsamic, stewed prunes, cherry concentrate, leather, coffee grounds, big tannin punch on the finish like chewing on a cinnamon stick
Rating: 8 / 10 – What a freaking wallop. This is shockingly good.
Nose: I have a soft spot for lightly scented candles. Especially the 99c ones with the exaggerated wailing saints on them sold in the hispanic section of the supermarket. Dust, wax, cinnamon and cloves. The slightly floral earth vibe of Rooibos. Apple peels. Julie recently bought me a cedar deodorant. Awesome smell but dang it’s rough to apply. And a savory note, leek quiche, especially the crust.
Palate: That is not what I expected. It might be one of the strangest and enticing palates in a while. Like fruit umami. Apples flash fried in salted browned butter, with a lightly caramelized edge. In elementary school I used to visit Eddie Fei’s house and his family had the most enticing and unusual snacks. I can just barely remember these spiced and candied mandarine peels and wish I could find the recipe. Some kind of spicy intensity like Sichuan peppercorns, cumin and fennel seeds. Still no luck figuring it out. And something a touch earthy- like crisped sage. Our old housemate Diego used to burn it to cleanse the kitchen from the evil spirits of my failed attempts at experimental cooking. On a revisit, there is some kind tart fruit note – a cassis kombucha.
Rating: 6 / 10 – I have literally no idea how to rate this. I’m kind of delighted and uncomfortable. Like any great adventure. And while I’d gladly drink this, and share it with friends, I can’t decide if I’d want a bottle.
Nose: First sniff… is the waiting. My nose hair tingle but not much else. I set it down and watched my son toss and turn. Spring is rough following daylight savings. Not that bedtime is ever easy. And so I wait. Chemical smells waft and then subside. A sharper smell, burnt toast and green peppercorn. Grilled leeks & green peppers. Needs a touch of umami and it could be a solid shish kabob. Instead it moved towards soil splashed with clay. An understated nose. Not quite sure what to expect.
Palate: Alright, not actually surprised. I would spend part of the summer in the french countryside with my grandparents as a child. The sun would bake everything. We’d wander dry fields, where the dust would get kicked up by my sneakers and coat everything. You could taste it for hours. It would make me dream of refreshment… only to be teased, cucumber spa water left out in the sun. Heavily mineralized hard water. Touch of a limestone.
Rating: 5 / 10 – This isn’t bad. Reminds me of a very gentle orujo. I doubt I would reach for it intentionally, but if served while sitting around an old farm table with my grandfather’s Pétanque buddies instead of pastice, I’d drink it and feel special.
Nose: Graham crackers, chocolate cherry fudge, a very sweet jamaica (cinnamon, hibiscus, star of anise)
Palate: Hazelnut, plum leather, actual leather, bright peat
Rating: 7 / 10 – tiny private cask from a few friends (bruce, hughes…). Freaking delicious
Nose: Raspberries, currants.
Palate: You get that red wine tannic astringency, raspberries and milk chocolate.
Rating: 5 / 10
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